Cable suspension for hoisting buckets



Oct. 16, 1928. 1,687,543

A. F. CASE CABLE SUSPENSION FOR HOIS TING BUCKETS Filed May 15, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet; 1

A. F. CASE CABLE SUSPENSION FOR HOIS TING BUCKETS Oct. 16, 1928.

Filed May 15, 1925 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Oct. 16, 1928.

UNITED STATES,

i 1,687,543 PATENT OFFICE.

Aarnnn'r. CASE, of CLEVELAND, OHIO, Assmnon TO THE WELLMAN-SEAVER MOR- GAN COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND,

OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

CABLE SUSPENSION FOR I IQISTING BUCKETS.

Application filed May '15, 1925., Seria1.No. 30,491.

This invention relates to a cable suspension for hoisting buckets, carried by an overhead traveling support, and has for its object to provide a cable suspension wh ch will practically eliminate lateral swinging movements of-the bucket While the same is being raised and lowered.

' In operating the hoisting buckets of the clam-shell type, suspended and operated from an overhead support by means of cables, considerable difiiculty has heretofore been experienced in controlling the move ments of the bucket due to the fact that the flexibly suspended bucket tends to swing as a pendulum whenever movement of the overhead support in any direction isstopped.

appreciable swinging movement, due to stopping of the movement of the support.

The following description and accompany ing drawings set forth in detail certain means embodying the invention, the disclosed means, however, constituting but one of the various mechanical forms in which the principle of the inventionmay be employed.

Referenceshoul'd be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of. this specification, in which Fig. 1 1s a side elevation showing an overhead supporting,

structure together with a clam-shell bucket having a cable suspension embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the supporting structure showing the drums for operating the equalizer cables and the counterweight for operating these drums; Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing the arrangement of the equalizing and counterweight cables; and Fig. 1 is a fragmentary View showing a slightly different connection between the equalizing and counterweight cables and bucket frame.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1 designates an overhead supporting structure upon which is mounted the hoistinganechanism for operating a fiexibly suspended clam-shellbucket 2. The sections of the elam-shellbucket2 are suspend ed froma frame 3 in which are housed. the bucket opening drums 4, and. the holding drum 5. Hoist cables 6 are connected to the holding drums 5 and operating cables 7 are connected to the opening drums 4:, the

cables 6 and 7 extending vertically from the bucket to the supporting structurew The drums upon which the cables 6 and 7 are wound and the operating mechanism for sa d drums, are designated generally in Fig. 1 by the numeral 8 and this mechanism may be controlled from an operators house 9.

. The mechanism above described is all old and well known, the clamshell bucket and the hoisting and operating means therefor being mechanisms Which'havebeen commonly used for many years.-v V At a suitable point along the length of the overhead support .1, there is .journaled a tranver'se shaft 10 upon which three drums 11, 12 and 13 are fixed, the, shaft and drums, as shown herein, being within the operators house. wh'ch passes downwardly under a sheave 15 from which a counterweight 16 is suspended and upwardly from the sheave to a point 17 where it is anchored to the supporting structure 1.

Cables18 and 19 are attached to the drums 11 and 13 and extend forwardly over guide sheaves 20 carried by the supporting structure 1 andthence downwardly at an inclination to the vertical to the opposite sides of the frame 3 of the bucket adjacent thecenters thereof, the cablesbeing attached to the frame 3 by means of shackles 22 and 23. A second pair or cables 24: and 25 are attached, one to the drum 11 and the other to the drum 13, and extend forwardly past thesheaves 20 and 21 to guide sheaves 26 and 27 supported by the structure 1 beyond the opposite end of the bucket frame 3. The cables 21 and 25 extend downwardly at an inclination reverse tothat of the cables 18 and 19, and are connected to the frame 3 adjacent to the points of connection of the cables 18 and 19 by means of shackles 28 and 29. The guide sheaves 20 and 21 and also the guide sheaves 26 and 27 are spaced apart a distance greater than the width of the frame 3 of the bucket, so that the cables 18 and 24 are inclined oppositely with respect to the cables 19 and 25. Each of the four cables 18, 19, 24. and 25 To the drum 12 is fixed a cable 1 1- counterweight extends upwardly from the bucket carrying frame and is inclined outwardly in a diagonal direction from its point of attachment to the frame. The action of the counterweight 16 is to wind the cables 18, 19, 24:

and 25, upon the drums 1'1 and 13 and the counterweight 16 acts to keep the said cables at all times under tension and to counterbalance the bucket 2. The inclination of the four cables 18, 19, 24 and 25, is such that lateral movement of the bucket 2 in any direction is resisted and these cables serve to holdthe bucket 2 against lateral movements, so that the starting or stopping of the overhead support does not cause the bucket to swing and the bucket can be accurately lowered to the desired spot and positioned at the desired point for discharge. In some instances it may be desirable to connect-the cables 18, 19,24: and 25 to the frame 3, at the corners thereof, instead of midway between the ends as shown'in Fig. 4:, 1n WhlCh the cables are shown connected at the four corners by shackles 22%233 28 and 29 Having thus described my invention, I claim:' V 1; In a device of the character described, a supporting structure, a load carrying member, hoisting means mounted on said structure and including a hoist cable connected to said member, a series of downwardly con: verging steadying cables extending from said structure to said load carrying member,

" drums upon which said cables are wound,

and means ndependent of the hOlStlllg means for simultaneously operating the drums to maintain said cables under tension. 2. In a device of the characterdescribed, a supporting structure, a load carrying member, lioistinguneans including a vertically depending hoist cable extending from said structure to said member, and additional steadying cables extending from said structure to said member and converging-downwardly tothe same, and means for auto-' matically paying out and taking. up said cables as said member is raised or lowered .by said hoistmg means.

3. In a device ofthe characterdescribed, a supporting structure, a load carrying mem her, hoisting means includinga vertically depending hoist cable extending from said structure to said member, and counterbaiancing means for said memberincludmg a plural ty of cablesextending from the 'mountedon said structure andincluding a hoist cable connected to said member, a series of steadying cables extending from the structure to said member, said steadying cables being inclined with respect to the vertical and arranged to resist-lateral movement of the bucket in any direction, and means independent of the hoisting means for simul taneously taking up and paying out said steadying'cables and acting to maintain a uniform tension thereon.

5, In a device of the character described, a supporting structure, a vertically movable hoist bucket, verticallydep'ending hoist and operating cables extending from said structure to said bucket, a series of steadying cables extending from said structure to the bucket, said steadying cables each extending from the bucket at an angle to the vertical and each extendinglaterally from the bucket in a diiierent direction, and meansfor maintaining said steadying cables under tension during the raising and lowering of the bucket. I

6. In a device of the character described, a supporting structure, a vertically movable, hoist bucket,vertically depending hoistand operating cables extending'from said structure to said bucket, a seriesof steadying cables extending fromis'aid structure to the bucket, said steadying cableseach extending from the bucket at an angle to' the vertical and each extending laterally from the bucket in a different direction, guide sheaves on a by said'opposit'ely wound cable. I I

, In testimony whereof, I hereunto aiiix my signature.

v s ARTHUR F. CASE. I 

